# What Is the Difference Between Skills and Commands in PM Skills? > Understand the difference between skills and commands in PM Skills. Skills are atomic knowledge units; commands orchestrate skills into end-to-end processes. Learn more. - Repository: [Pawel Huryn/pm-skills](https://github.com/phuryn/pm-skills) - Tags: deep-dive - Published: 2026-07-06 --- **In PM Skills, skills are atomic knowledge units that load automatically when relevant, while commands are user-triggered workflows that orchestrate one or more skills into complete end-to-end processes.** The `phuryn/pm-skills` repository organizes product management expertise into a structured system built around two core abstractions: **skills** and **commands**. Understanding the difference between skills and commands in PM Skills is essential for effectively leveraging the toolkit, whether you are forcing a specific expertise load or executing a comprehensive workflow. ## Skills: Atomic Knowledge Units Skills serve as the foundational building blocks of the PM Skills ecosystem. Each skill encodes a discrete product-management framework, analysis method, or writing guideline as a standalone knowledge unit. According to the source code, skills are *loaded automatically* whenever Claude (or another AI assistant) detects that the conversation content would benefit from that specific expertise. This automatic loading requires no explicit user invocation. You can force a skill to load using a prefix syntax such as `/plugin-name:skill-name` or simply `/skill-name`. The detailed instructions for a specific skill reside in dedicated files within the repository. For example, [`pm-toolkit/skills/review-resume/SKILL.md`](https://github.com/phuryn/pm-skills/blob/main/pm-toolkit/skills/review-resume/SKILL.md) contains the exact guidelines the AI follows when reviewing a product manager resume. ## Commands: User-Triggered Workflows Commands represent the orchestration layer of the architecture. Unlike skills, which provide passive expertise, commands are active workflows that users trigger explicitly with a slash (`/`) prefix. A command runs a scripted sequence that typically: - Collects user input - Calls one or more relevant skills - Formats the output - Suggests follow-up actions For instance, the `/review-resume` command parses a resume input, invokes the `review-resume` skill, and produces a structured scorecard with improvement suggestions. This logic is defined in [`pm-toolkit/commands/review-resume.md`](https://github.com/phuryn/pm-skills/blob/main/pm-toolkit/commands/review-resume.md). Complex commands chain multiple skills together. The `/discover` command executes a full product discovery workflow by sequentially running the `brainstorm-ideas`, `identify-assumptions`, `prioritize-assumptions`, and `brainstorm-experiments` skills. ## Key Architectural Differences The distinction between these components can be summarized across three dimensions: - **Invocation**: Skills load automatically based on context (or via forced prefix), while commands require explicit user initiation with `/` - **Scope**: Skills contain focused domain knowledge; commands assemble end-to-end processes - **Composition**: Skills are atomic; commands are composite, often orchestrating multiple skills ## How to Invoke Skills and Commands Understanding the syntax differences helps you choose the right tool for your needs. To force-load a skill directly: ```markdown User: /review-resume "Here is my resume..." Claude: (loads the `review-resume` skill automatically and returns the review) ``` To execute a command that chains multiple skills: ```markdown User: /discover AI-powered meeting summarizer Claude: Executes the `brainstorm-ideas`, `identify-assumptions`, `prioritize-assumptions`, and `brainstorm-experiments` skills in sequence, then returns the full discovery output ``` The first example demonstrates a skill being called implicitly (or forced with a prefix). The second shows the `/discover` command internally invoking multiple skills to complete a comprehensive product-discovery workflow. ## Summary - **Skills** are atomic knowledge units that encode specific product management expertise, stored in files like [`pm-toolkit/skills/review-resume/SKILL.md`](https://github.com/phuryn/pm-skills/blob/main/pm-toolkit/skills/review-resume/SKILL.md) - **Commands** are user-triggered workflows defined in files like [`pm-toolkit/commands/review-resume.md`](https://github.com/phuryn/pm-skills/blob/main/pm-toolkit/commands/review-resume.md) that orchestrate skills into end-to-end processes - Skills load automatically based on conversation context or via forced prefixes, while commands require explicit `/` invocation - Commands can chain multiple skills together, such as `/discover` running four distinct skills in sequence ## Frequently Asked Questions ### Can I force a skill to load without using a command? Yes. While skills typically load automatically when the AI detects relevant context, you can force a skill to load using the prefix syntax `/plugin-name:skill-name` or simply `/skill-name` according to the repository's [`README.md`](https://github.com/phuryn/pm-skills/blob/main/README.md) documentation. ### How does a command know which skills to use? Commands are scripted workflows that explicitly reference specific skills by name. For example, the `/review-resume` command is configured to call the `review-resume` skill, as defined in [`pm-toolkit/commands/review-resume.md`](https://github.com/phuryn/pm-skills/blob/main/pm-toolkit/commands/review-resume.md). Complex commands like `/discover` contain hardcoded sequences that invoke multiple skills in a specific order to complete the workflow. ### Are plugins different from skills and commands? According to the [`README.md`](https://github.com/phuryn/pm-skills/blob/main/README.md) section on architecture, PM Skills is organized around three core concepts: Skills, Commands, and Plugins. While skills provide knowledge and commands provide workflows, plugins represent the third organizational layer that likely encapsulates related skills and commands into functional groups. ### Where are skill definitions stored in the repository? Skill definitions reside in the `pm-toolkit/skills/` directory. Each skill has its own subdirectory containing a [`SKILL.md`](https://github.com/phuryn/pm-skills/blob/main/SKILL.md) file that defines the specific instructions and knowledge. For example, the resume review skill instructions are located at [`pm-toolkit/skills/review-resume/SKILL.md`](https://github.com/phuryn/pm-skills/blob/main/pm-toolkit/skills/review-resume/SKILL.md).